Warriors trade: Andrew Bogut and a future second-round draft pick 
Mavericks trade: 2019 second-round draft pick

Why would a trade that sent away fan favorite and defensive rock Andrew Bogut for very little in return be one of the better trades in Warriors history? Well, it allowed the Warriors to free enough cap space to sign free agent Kevin Durant and form one of the greatest teams, if not the greatest, of all time. 

This trade possibly could have been made with any of the teams that had enough cap space to absorb Bogut's contract, so that is why it is ranked No. 7. Also trading Bogut was a bittersweet decision for management and Dub Nation, but do not worry. Bogut appears again later on this list in a more positive manner.

Warriors trade: 2024 second-round draft pick and cash 
Hawks trade: 2019 second-round draft pick

Seems like a pretty innocuous, low-impact trade on the surface, but this transaction ended up giving the Warriors the No. 41 pick overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, allowing them to draft Eric Paschall out of Villanova.

It has only been one season so far in the NBA for Paschall, so there still is a lot to learn about his future development. But so far, he has been a tremendous success story for a mid-second-round pick. He likely will end up on the All-Rookie First Team and could be a significant part of future Warriors success.

Warriors trade: Ike Diogu, Mike Dunleavy, Keith McLeod and Troy Murphy 
Pacers trade: Al Harrington, Stephen Jackson, Sarunas Jasikevicius, and Josh Powell

This trade ended an era of frustration and disappointment for Warriors fans, and started the "We Believe" movement. Diogu and Dunleavy took the brunt of Dub Nation's pent-up anger for managements inability to draft wisely at the top, while Murphy was a well-liked and solid performer in his young Warriors career. 

Sending these pieces away was a signal in itself that the team was moving a new direction, but in acquiring Jackson and Harrington, the trajectory of the franchise changed immediately. Jackson would end up scoring nearly 17 points per game the rest of the season and provided veteran leadership the young team needed, while Harrington also contributed 17 points per contest, forming a great point-forward tandem with Jackson. 

The two of them, along with a talented electric group led the Dubs to their first playoff appearance in many years and lit up the Oracle crowd in a cathartic way.

Warriors trade: Kwame Brown, Monta Ellis, and Ekpe Udoh
Bucks trade: Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson 

A lot of familiar names in the trade, and another change in course and trajectory for the Warriors franchise. After the "We Believe" team was dismantled and Ellis took over a struggling team for a few years, the new ownership, led by Joe Lacob, decided to make a major move. 

In trading away fan favorite Ellis for an injured former No. 1 overall selection in Bogut, management signaled that it was time to start again. Lacob famously got booed at Oracle for this move, but this trade would end up being the first change that would later become one of the best teams ever. Bogut would become the defensive anchor and one of the vocal leaders of the team, and in trading away Ellis, the Warriors gave a young Steph Curry the keys to the franchise.

Many forget that Jackson was involved in this trade as well, but at this point he was on his last legs and he was packaged and traded away immediately.

Warriors trade: Dan Gadzuric and Brandan Wright
Nets trade: Troy Murphy and a 2012 second-round draft pick

You might have caught on by now that when a trade looks meaningless on the surface, that the thrown in 2nd round draft pick might end up being significant. Well, in this case, the draft pick ended up being the No. 35 selection overall, and the Warriors drafted an undersized, four-year college player out of Michigan State named Draymond Green. 

Green would go on to be a three-time NBA All-Star, Defensive Player of the Year and potential Hall of Famer. The Warriors clearly won the trade simply because they ended up getting Green in the deal, but because that move led to Green somewhat indirectly, it was hard to push this trade over the top 2.

Warriors trade (in three-team trade): Andris Biedrins, Richard Jefferson, Brandon Rush, 2014 first-round draft pick, 2017 first-round draft pick, 2016 second-round draft pick, 2017 second-round draft pick, 2018 second-round draft pick 
Nuggets trade: Andre Iguodala

The Warriors gave up a ton to make this deal, but in the end, the move could not have worked out more perfectly. Iguodala was the exact piece the franchise needed to push them to the next level, bringing his incredible athleticism, defense, court vision and leadership to a young team. 

Iguodala would later become the sixth man for three NBA championship teams, even winning the NBA Finals MVP in the Warriors' 2015 title. The two first-round picks that the Warriors sent away ended up being late picks because the team was so successful, making the selections much less valuable.

Warriors trade: Speedy Claxton and Dale Davis
Hornets trade: Baron Davis

This has to be one of the most lopsided deals in NBA history. The Hornets at the time had financial reasons for making the move, but their inability to even acquire draft picks for their two-time NBA All-Star at the peak of his game is astounding. Sure, the trades that landed Bogut, Iguodala and Green led to eventual NBA titles, but it is just too difficult to ignore the absurdity of this deal to not rank it No. 1. 

Davis would become the leader of the Warriors as the face of the "We Believe" era and reignited a desperate fan base. No Warriors fan will ever forget the dunk on Andrei Kirilenko. Ever.

Warriors trade: Jacob Evans, D'Angelo Russell and Omari Spellman
Wolves trade: Andrew Wiggins, 2021 first-round draft pick, 2021 second-round draft pick 

It might take a couple years to fully understand how impactful this trade ends up being for the Warriors, but on the surface, there seems to be some serious upside for Golden State. Russell, as talented as he is, did not fit the Warriors system and management decided to flip him for the incredibly talented but underachieving wing in Wiggins. 

It is yet to be seen if Wiggins will become the major contributor that many hope he can be, but at its simplest form, the Warriors acquired some serious potential trade assets in him and the top 3 protected 2021 first-round pick, in a draft that is supposed to be loaded with top talent.